Voluntary Justice (9) Price of Protection

The modern state allows people to live in isolation without any connection to a community that has moral authority over their lives. People can have physical protection and the support of the rest of society without needing to submit to the moral authority of their community. This means that justice has to be imposed by physical force.

In a tribal society or Christian community, members get protection from evil (physical and spiritual) by belonging to their community. The price of this protection is submission to the justice imposed by the community. People can avoid the consequences of justice, but the price they pay is the loss of the protection. Tribal members refusing the justice required by their tribal judges would become very vulnerable to physical attack.

Christians who refuse to comply with the standard of justice imposed by their leaders will lose physical and spiritual protection. Losing spiritual protection might have more serious long term consequences than the penalty they are attempting to escape. Paul reminded the Corinthians of what happens when those who are unwilling to repent are cut off from the body of Christ.

hand this man over to Satan, so that the sinful nature may be destroyed and his spirit saved on the day of the Lord…. God will judge those outside. Expel the wicked man from among you (1 Cor 5:5,13).

Churches will only be able to fulfil this role, if there is a church in every street. A church whose members to drive many miles to a mega meeting cannot be a tribe. Only community-based churches that functions in a defined area can provide protection and justice.

The full article is here.